Hughes/Kettner Switchblade?

[Stevo]

It looks a little too electronic for me, but pretty interesting for a tube head for that price. Has anyone played with one of these?

Switchblade Head

1x12 Combo

 

[Wattage]

Re: Hughes/Kettner Switchblade?

Everything about them seems cool as hell I totally agree.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Hughes/Kettner Switchblade?

I'm curious to hear them. I've always wanted tube technology to take this direction, if done right. I read the Guitar Player review on them, but it's basically a paid advertisement. My first concern was that the best amps use big iron transformers. This one has audio trannies that are donut shaped, like they put in small power amps. Still, it doesn't mean it won't sound good.
I like the fact that they're taking the lead in melding tubes with digital. I have no problem with that, so I'm excited to mess around with one.

 

[Zerberus]

Re: Hughes/Kettner Switchblade?

It looks a little too electronic for me, but pretty interesting for a tube head for that price. Has anyone played with one of these?

Switchblade Head

1x12 Combo

Everything about them seems cool as hell I totally agree.

I agree.. this may be the head I´ve been waiting for: Cheap, I personally quite like the H&K voicings for the most part, and a few general purpose effects to kick around when bored.... the versatility of 4 channels could prove useful as well, though I generally only need 2 max...

I gotta look into what they cost over here I think :headbang:

*Edit* WTF??? It´s a German made head, and yet it costs MORE over here than it does stateside? That blows.....

 

[Stevo]

Re: Hughes/Kettner Switchblade?

*Edit* WTF??? It´s a German made head, and yet it costs MORE over here than it does stateside?

&#*@^ that bites bigtime.. sorry buddy :smack:

 

[Zerberus]

Re: Hughes/Kettner Switchblade?

Bites for H&K, not for me... I have 2 amps that work just fine, and this would have been cool, but that kind of obvious price gouging I´ll not stand for until amps are made that will replace groupies as well

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Hughes/Kettner Switchblade?

but that kind of obvious price gouging I´ll not stand for until amps are made that will replace groupies as well

Sound interesting. Don't get shocked! :laugh2: :banana:

 

[Loserchief]

Re: Hughes/Kettner Switchblade?

I agree.. this may be the head I´ve been waiting for: Cheap, I personally quite like the H&K voicings for the most part, and a few general purpose effects to kick around when bored.... the versatility of 4 channels could prove useful as well, though I generally only need 2 max...

I gotta look into what they cost over here I think :headbang:

*Edit* WTF??? It´s a German made head, and yet it costs MORE over here than it does stateside? That blows.....

You know you don't need the switchblade. What you need is one of those new Engl Invaders when they come out :headbang:

 

[Zerberus]

Re: Hughes/Kettner Switchblade?

You mean "if", right?? we´ve only been waiting, what, 9 months? :laugh2:

Seriously, I´ve already given up hope that the Invader will ever see the market.. and then there´s still that matter of me so far never playing an ENGL that I really "jived" with

 

[Stevo]

Re: Hughes/Kettner Switchblade?

until amps are made that will replace groupies as well

.. then they will definitely be cheaper in the USA :6:

 

[aleclee]

Re: Hughes/Kettner Switchblade?

Here are a couple discussions by folks who've bought 'em:
http://forums.birdsandmoons.com/forum/showthread.php?t=30000
http://forums.birdsandmoons.com/forum/showthread.php?t=29618

 

[Loserchief]

Re: Hughes/Kettner Switchblade?

You mean "if", right?? we´ve only been waiting, what, 9 months? :laugh2:

Seriously, I´ve already given up hope that the Invader will ever see the market.. and then there´s still that matter of me so far never playing an ENGL that I really "jived" with

well, the Invader should be ready in september 06, atl east that's what the webpage says. I still want to try one since i first read about them.

 

[sosomething]

Re: Hughes/Kettner Switchblade?

The tiny OTs in the Switchblade give me pause, but the features seem totally cool. I thought of something like this a while ago - motorized knobs and a footswitch that stored settings in digital form that communicated with the head via MIDI. I'm glad someone is actually building it.

 

[Danglin' Fury]

Re: Hughes/Kettner Switchblade?

The magnets in those tiny toroidal transformers are quite powerful. In amps class, we learned about their application in communications equipment and they are pretty efficient when high power and tubes(Klystrons, 5000 watts) are used. I also find it odd they would use them in a guitar amp,
as if I'm not misaken they use them at high frequencies.:smokin:

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Hughes/Kettner Switchblade?

The magnets in those tiny toroidal transformers are quite powerful. In amps class, we learned about their application in communications equipment and they are pretty efficient when high power and tubes(Klystrons, 5000 watts) are used. I also find it odd they would use them in a guitar amp,
as if I'm not misaken they use them at high frequencies.:smokin:

Yeah, most power amps, including Mesas, use toroidal transformers.
I want to give one of these amps the benefit of the doubt, and see if it could be a decent home practice amp, replacing the Valvetronix.

 

[OlinMusic]

Re: Hughes/Kettner Switchblade?

I heard it with a strat at the LA amp show - pretty impressive. Very nice, real tone with good FX. Problem? I heard it side by side with the Puretone, and while the Puretone lacks saturation, it has that open/classic EL34 tone where you can roll back your volume. That always wins me. Otherwise a very nice amp.

I won't lie though - these things look SO COOL that I get a little fooled.

If I remember that day well, the amp that wow-ed me with FX was the Egnaters.

 

[XSSIVE]

Re: Hughes/Kettner Switchblade?

i made a post about this a while back and i'm still seriously considering it as another amp since the price isn't crazy.

-Mike

 

[Rocker35]

Re: Hughes/Kettner Switchblade?

Me and the other guitarist in my band tried one at the London guitar show a few months back and they are impressive!!. The basic tone is excellent and the effects are about spot on. I thought the FX would be cheesy, but they are excellent quality and just about right without being overbearing.
The amp is also an absolute breeze to program too and is easily the best one box solution out there, easily beating the modellers available - the tube tone definately shines through.
The other guitarist in my band was gonna pull the trigger on one until he got a great deal on a Cornford MK50, but the Switchblade is a great choice for a gigging player who wants a wide variety of tones and doesn't want either a rack of effects or a stack of pedals to stomp on.

 

[Animal]

Re: Hughes/Kettner Switchblade?

When I originally saw the promotion for the Switchblade a few months ago on the H&K website, I just shrugged it off as a gimmicky digi-wanna-be tube amp.

Now after reading into it a bit further it really looks like an amp I could jive with.

Versatility and ease of use with tone to boot. I like the idea of having all presets ready to go with a switch of a button but I don't like rackmounts upon rackmounts of gear. I also don't like the idea of hooking up single pedals together and doing a tap dance, making a pedal board and dirtying up my signal chain.

A completely digital amp doesn't rock my chopper either but this tube path pre and power design has me with blood flowing down south. I like the sound of the clips on the H&K website.

Looks like H&K might have a winner here. Too bad they cost almost 2.5K here in Australia. :grumble:

 

[Stevo]

Re: Hughes/Kettner Switchblade?

I listened to the sound clips.. pretty nice display, where you can change the effects.. nice marketing for sure.

I like the sound but I wish that they had some clips that were less compressed/saturated - more of a classic distortion sound. The clean tones are very nice.